Tip #1 : Be sure to always insert you slot club card
In some casinos, using your card can effectively increase the payback of the machine you are playing by as much as one percent. You haven’t joined the slot club? If you’ve read the section on slot clubs, you will know that there is no downside.
Tip #2 : Play only what your bankroll can handle
When you arrive at a gambling resort, you should first ascertain what denomination of machine you should be playing. To help you determine this, the following table shows how much bankroll is needed for a two-, three- of five-coin bet in each denomination, assuming 8 spins per minute and a 90% payout.
Next, decide how many hours you would like to play over the course of your stay. For example, assume you start with a bankroll of $600 and would like to play an average of five hours a day for three days. That is a total of 15 playing hours. Dividing 15 hours into $600 gives a rate of $40 per hour. Thus, you should not play anything more costly than a three-coin quarter machine. Of course, in actuality, you may win more or lose more than the 90% payback would indicate, but at least you have a reasonable starting point.
Tip #3 : When you insert your coins make sure that you get what you pay for
Like any equipment with mechanical components, slot machines are subject to considerable wear and tear. This is especially true of coin mechanisms. After handling hundreds of thousands of coins, the mechanism will malfunction sooner or later. Your best protection is to observe the glass and the paylines as you insert each coin to be sure the correct sections light up, showing that they are properly activated. If you hit a winning combination that doesn’t pay because only two of your three coins are registered, you are out of luck. If one of your coins does not register, be sure to wave down an attendant or press the change button and wait for someone to arrive. Don’t spin the reels before the situation is rectified.
Tip #4 : Play one machine at a time
Slot managers know that some people like to play more two slots simultaneously, so they always flank a loose machine with tight ones on both sides. At best, you will win from a loose machine only to lose your winnings to a tight one; at worst you will lose to two tight machines. Two loose machines are never knowingly placed alongside each other.
Tip #5 : Never play the machine right next to someone who is winning
If the winner’s slot is loose, the machines on either side will be tight. Of course, the winner’s machine may just be a moderate payer turned hot, but you don’t know that for certain.
Tip #6 : Stay with a hot machine
Never leave a machine that just paid a big jackpot. By definition, it is a hot machine that could continue to pay out very nicely. don’t abandon the machine unless it had paid anything for six consecutive spins.
Tip #7 : Observe other slots players who are winning
Watch players who are winning regularly and keep an eye (and an ear) for sudden jackpot winners. For any number of reasons, these people may leave while their machines are still hot. If you see that happen (and your machine is cold), move over to the other machine before someone else gets there. Why would a person leave a hot machine? Many slot players think a machine turns cold after paying a big jackpot. or maybe they have a dinner reservation or tickets for a show. If the machine is still in a hot cycle, their loss is your gain.
Tip #8 : Abandon a cold machine
Don’t throw good money after bad. If, after six spins, the machine has paid out very little, abandon it. If available move over to the slot right next to it. Tight and loose machines are often placed side by side.
Tip #9 : Never leave a machine that owes you money
Sometimes when you hit a big jackpot, an attendant has to make the payoff, or sometimes during a payoff, the machine’s hopper runs out of coins. Stay with the machine no matter how long it takes the attendant to arrive. Occasionally a machine malfunctions and you can’t redeem your credits, or the bill acceptor gets hung and eats your Franklin without giving you credits. Stat with the machine no matter how long it takes the mechanic to arrive. If you leave the machine, you will have trouble claiming what is rightly yours.
Tip #10 : Don’t forget to press the CASH OUT button
Most machines accumulate credits as you play, and you must press the CASH OUT button to convert the credits into coins. Even if you have just won a hand-paid jackpot, before leaving the machine, press the CASH OUT button, and be sure the credit meter reads zero. If it doesn’t, call an attendant because the machine may need a hopper fill, or the coin mechanism may be jammed. If you are distracted when you leave your machine and forget to cash out, someone else will get to enjoy your winnings.
And remember the cardinal rule of slot play: Quit while you are ahead, but never quit while you are winning.
